Rotary cutting tool



F. G. ECHOLS ROTARY 01mm: 1601.

April 5. 1927.

Filed Sept. 25, 1925 INYENTOR BY fg ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

fatten STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS G. ECHOLS, GREENFIELD, IIIASSACEEUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- TO GREENFI'ELD TAP AND DIE COREORATIQN, OF GEEENFIEL'D, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or massnonusn'r'rs.

Application filed September 25, 1925.

This invention relates to rotary cutting tools, such as cutter taps, reamers and the like, and more particularly this invention re lates to improved means for releasably locating and securing blades in the frame of the tool.

1n tools of the character referred to the blades have been secured in place by bringing two nuts on the frame into engagement with opposite ends of the blades. One difficulty with this construction has been to make the blades and the frame so exact in ordinary manufacture that the blade end engaging nuts can be forced tightly enough against the ends of all the blades-to hold each blade with an equal amount of tension. Especially is this the case when the blades are seated in. inclined grooves or in grooves which are wider than the blades to permit sidewise adjustment of the blades in the grooves into grinding and cutting positions. Because this exact manufacture has been lacking, usually the pressure will be on one or on only a few of the blades and others will remain objectionably loose.

The principal object of this invention to provide a rotary cutting tool, such reamers, cutter taps and the like, with means whereby all the blades may be secured tightly and rigidly in place on the frame without requiring exactness in manufacture. and irrespective of whether or not the tool is constructed to permit replacement of the blades,'or their adjustment lengthwise along inclined grooves to adjust their cutting surfaces radially, or their adjustment sidewisc in the grooves into grinding and cutting positions. Another object of this invention is to provide locking means which permit ready and easy manipulation and ustment of the blades in the manner and for the purposes referred to. Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

Briefly stated, this invention contemplates the provision on the tool body of adjustable abutments which may be forced from opposite directions into tight, interlocking engagement with the opposite ends of the blades, one or both of the abutments having radially resilient portions, each portion en- ROTABY CUTTING TOQL.

Serial No. 58,515.

gaging one blade end separately at an inclinmg surface, so that the resilient abutment or abutments and the blade ends may be brought so closely together that each blade end is tightly secured in place and no blade will remain loose. One abutment may be rigid.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings form ng a part of this application and illustrating one possible embodiment of my invention. leferring to the drawings, Fig. 1 1s a side view of a tool embodying this invention; 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and is taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view thereof looking from the line 33 of Fig. 2'; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view thereof, and is taken on the line H of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is another cross sectional View thereof, and is taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. J

Referring to the drawings. the tool comprises a cylindrical frame or body 1 of suitable metal, and is provided circumferentially about its central portion with grooves 2 for the cutting blades 3. In the embodiment. shown the grooves 2 are wider than the blades 3 and each not only receives a blade 3. but also receives a shim or distance 4 placed alongside the blade. This construction is well known and is fully described in Patent 1,483,950, granted February 19, 1924, to V. H. Peterson.

The body 1 of the tool has a shank 5 and an adjacent threaded portion 6 on which is adjustably engaged a threaded collar or nut 7. Intermediate the threaded portion 6 and the blade grooves 2 a cylindrical sleeve 9 is slidably seated on a cylindrical portion 8 ol the tool. Preferably this portion 8 of the toolbody has a groove 10 in which is seated a pin or key 11 carried by the sleeve 9, whereby this sleeve is prevented from rotation on the body of the tool. The opposite end of the tool is threaded as at 12 and a threaded collar or nut 13 is adjustably engaged with these threads. A cylindrical sleeve 14 slidably encircles the body of the tool between collar 13 and the adjacent ends of the blades 3. Sleeve la and blades 3 have complementary inclined engaging surfaces 15 whereby the engaged ends of blades 3 are prevented from removal from their grooves.

Sleeve 9, at its end adjacent-the ends of blades 3, is providedwith a plurality of linger or web portions 16, each of which has an inwardly inclined end surface 17 and individually interlocks with and engages one blade 3 at its end, the ends of the blades having complementary inclined or tapered surfaces 18, each coacting with the surface 1? of one of the portions 16. These portions 16 are separately and individually tie ible radially with respect to the body of the sleeve 9 and with respect to the tool. In consequence of the individual engagement of each blade 3 by separate resilient engaging fingers 16, at coacting inclined surfaces, these lingers may be brought into such tight engagement with the ends of the blades 3 that all of the blades will be tightly engaged and not one of them will be loose.

These resilient lingers or their equivalents may be provided in many ways. in the embodin'ient illustrated these lingers are formed by corrugating or cutting recesses into the forward edge of sleeve 9, as at 19. Each inger or web 16 is wider than the blade engaged thereby, and, therefore, will engage the blade in either of its positions of sidewise adjustn'ient in the groove 2 for sharpening or for cutting.

To remove one or more of the blades, either orbot-h of the threaded collars 7 and 18 are unscrewed on the tool body and either or both of the sleeves 9 and 14-. are slid out of engagement with the blade ends, thus releasing the blades for removal from their grooves. To make fast the blades when placed in their grooves, it is only necessary to tighten. one or both of the threaded collars 7 and 13. This adjustment will bring the end of sleeve 14: into engagement with the blades at one end and ill bring the resilient lingers 16 of sleeve 9 into engage ment with the other ends of the blades. If the blades are not all of exactly the same length, or their ends not exactly the same height, the linger or lingers 16 which engage the longer blade or blades, or the higher blade end or ends, will lie outwardly suliiciently to permit the linger which engages the shortest blade, or the blade having the lowest end, to engage the same so firmly that even such blade will be held tightly and firmly in place. In this way the objectionable feature of having one or more of the blades loose is avoided, and at the same time a simple, sturdy and effective construction is obtained.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and as many apparently widely dillerent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is 1. In a tool of the characta' described, a body, blades having beveled ends, and means for securing the blades in place on the tool body, said means including lingers mounted on the tool body and resilient radially with respect thereto, each finger resilientl engaging the beveled end of a blade, w. ereby when said fingers and blade ends are forced together endwise one or more of said lingers may become flexed radially outward, to permit each blade to be tightly enga 'ed by one of said lingers irrespective of variations in the lengths of the blades.

2. In a tool of the character described, a body, blades having beveled ends, and means for securing the blaees in place on the tool body, said means including a sleeve slidably mounted on the body and having at one end radially resilient finger portions, each linger port-ion resiliently engaging over one end of a blade, whereby when said fingers and blade ends are forced together endwise one or more of said fingers may become flexed radially outward, to permit each blade to be tightly engaged by one of said lingers irrespective of variations in the lengths of the blades.

3. In a tool of the character described, a body, blades having beveled ends, and means for securing the blades in place on the tool body, said means including lingers mounted on the tool body and resilient radially with respect thereto, each linger resiliently engaging the beveled end of a blade, and means for moving the blades axially on the tool, whereby when said lingers and blade ends are forced together endwise one or more of said fingers may become flexed rad'ally 0ut ward, to permit each blade to be tightly en gaged by one of said lingers irrespective of variations in the dimensions of the blades.

This specification signed this 22nd day of September, 1925.

FRANCIS G. EOHOLS. 

